Lest We Forget ~ Honouring and Remembering British Police Officers who Lost their Lives in the Line of Duty ~ Lest We Forget

POLICE HOMICIDES

GREAT BRITAIN SINCE 1900

Police Officers of England, Scotland and Wales reported killed in the
line of duty by
criminal acts showing method of killing, incident type and
court result or other outcome.

Year

Rank

Name

Force

Method

Incident

Charge/inquest

Court result / outcome

1900

PC

Alfred Kerns

Cheshire

Beaten

disorderly
person

Manslaughter

acquittal - insufficient
evidence of homicide

1900

PC

John Kew

West Riding

Shot

checking suspect

Murder

conviction of murder

1900

PC

Ernest Thompson

Metropolitan

Stabbed

disorderly
person

Manslaughter

conviction of manslaughter

1901

DC

Thomas Hibbs

L.N.W. Railway

Beaten &
Drowned

attempting
arrest

Murder

unsolved -
suspects acquitted

1901

PC

Charles Gunter

Birmingham

Stoned

street disturbance

Murder

conviction
of manslaughter

1903

PC

William Price

Staffordshire

Bludgeoned

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction
of manslaughter

1903

PC

William
Wilkinson

Leicestershire

Shot

revenge attack

Murder

conviction
of murder

1903

PC

Edwin Wilce

Plymouth

Beaten

domestic disturbance

Murder

conviction
of manslaughter

1903

PC

William Davies

Montgomeryshire

Beaten

disorderly
person

Manslaughter

acquittal - insufficient
evidence of homicide

1905

PC

William Woolley

Lincolnshire

Beaten

disorderly
person

Manslaughter

acquittal - insufficient
evidence of homicide

1906

PC

William McKelvie

Hawick

Beaten

disorderly
person

Murder

conviction
of culpable
homicide

1907

PC

George Leefe

North Eastern
Rly

Stabbed

disorderly
person

Manslaughter

acquittal - insufficient
evidence of homicide

1907

PC

Walter Ford

Norfolk

Stabbed

deranged suspect

Murder

suspect
found insane

1909

PC

William Tyler

Metropolitan

Shot

chasing suspects

Murder

suicide
of suspects

1909

PC

Charles Alger

Great Yarmouth

Shot

domestic disturbance

Murder

conviction of murder

1910

Sgt

Robert Bentley
KPM

City of London

Shot

attempting
arrest

Murder

suspects
killed or acquitted

PC

Walter Choat
KPM

Sgt

Charles Tucker
KPM

1911

PC

Hosea Pope

Monmouthshire

Bludgeoned

disorderly
person

Manslaughter

conviction of manslaughter

1912

Insp

Arthur Walls

Eastbourne

Shot

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

1913

Sgt

William Crouch

Wiltshire

Shot

revenge attack

Murder

suicide
of suspect

1913

PC

Andrew Barton
KPM

Northumberland

Shot

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

DC

George Mussell
KPM

Shot

attempting
arrest

1915

DC

Alfred Young
KPM

Metropolitan

Shot

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of manslaughter

1919

PC

James Campbell

Glasgow

Shot

attempting
arrest

Murder

unsolved -
no suspects charged

1919

St/Sgt

Thomas Green

Metropolitan

Bludgeoned

mob violence
/ rioting

Manslaughter

unsolved -
suspects acquitted

1919

PC

Thomas Rowland

Metropolitan

Beaten

disorderly
person

Manslaughter

acquittal - insufficient
evidence of homicide

1920

PC

James Kelly

Metropolitan

Shot

chasing suspects

Murder

unsolved -
no suspects charged

1920

Insp

John Burney

Middlesbrough

Beaten

street disturbance

Manslaughter

acquittal - insufficient
evidence of homicide

1921

Sgt

Ernest Crowston

Nottingham

Struck by vehicle

stopping vehicle

Manslaughter

conviction of
manslaughter

1921

Insp

Robert Johnston

Glasgow

Shot

prisoner escape

Murder

unsolved -
suspects acquitted (IRA)

1921

PC

Peter Munro

Lanarkshire

Beaten

mob violence
/ rioting

Murder

conviction
of culpable
homicide

1924

PC

Robert Pritchard

Anglesey

Shot

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of manslaughter

1925

PC

Albert Willits

Wolverhampton

Shot

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

1927

PC

Mathew Straughan

Durham

Shot

deranged suspect

Murder

suspect found
insane (on appeal)

1927

PC

George
Gutteridge

Essex

Shot

checking suspects

Murder

conviction of murder

1928

PC

Henry
Leggett

Newcastle-on-Tyne

Beaten

disorderly
person *

Manslaughter

acquittal - insufficient
evidence of homicide

1929

PC

John Self

Metropolitan

Beaten

checking suspect

Manslaughter

conviction of manslaughter

1930

D/Sgt

Francis Willis

Cambridge

Shot

attempting
arrest

Murder

suicide
of suspect

1930

PC

Arthur Lawes

Metropolitan

Struck by Vehicle

stolen vehicle

Manslaughter

unsolved - no suspects charged

1933

PC

Frederick Percy

Metropolitan

Struck by Vehicle

directing traffic

Manslaughter

acquittal - conviction
of dangerous driving

1934

PC

James Wright

Manchester

Struck by Vehicle

directing traffic

Manslaughter

conviction
of manslaughter

1935

PC

Harry Forrest

Lancashire

Struck by Vehicle

crowd control

Manslaughter

conviction
of manslaughter

1935

PC

James Thomson
KPM

Metropolitan

Struck by Vehicle

crowd control

Manslaughter

conviction
of manslaughter

1938

PC

John Potter

Devon

Bludgeoned

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

1938

PC

George Shepherd

Metropolitan

Dragged by Vehicle

stolen vehicle

Murder

conviction
of manslaughter

1940

PC

William Shiell

Durham

Shot

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

1940

PWR

Jack Avery

Metropolitan

Stabbed

checking suspect

Murder

conviction,
on appeal
of manslaughter

1940

ACC

Robert Thomson

Edinburgh

Shot

disorderly
person

Murder

conviction
of culpable homicide

1940

SC

William Mellen

Herefordshire

Beaten

disorderly
person

Manslaughter

acquittal - insufficient
evidence of homicide

1941

D/Sgt

Thomas Dale

Rochdale

Bomb
Explosion

checking
premises

Murder

conviction
of manslaughter

D/I

Harry Stables

1941

PC

Evan Davies

Cardiff

Shot

checking suspects

Murder

unsolved -
no suspects charged

1942

PWR

Joseph Pickering

Lancashire

Beaten

disorderly
person

Manslaughter

conviction
of manslaughter

1942

Sgt

William Avis
DCM

West Sussex

Shot

attempting
arrest

Murder

suspect
found insane

1943

PWR

Stephen Cox

Birmingham

Struck by Vehicle

stolen vehicle

Manslaughter

conviction of manslaughter

1943

PWR

John Towers

Blackburn

Beaten

disorderly
person

Manslaughter

conviction of manslaughter

1944

Insp

Francis East

Berkshire

Dragged by Vehicle

attempting
arrest

Manslaughter

conviction of manslaughter

1946

PC

Brinley Booth

Staffordshire

Bludgeoned

attempting
arrest

Murder

unsolved -
suspect acquitted (in 1956)

1948

PC

Nathanael Edgar

Metropolitan

Shot

checking suspect

Murder

conviction of murder

1951

Sgt

William Gibson
KC

Dumfries/Galloway

Shot

checking suspect

Murder

conviction of murder

1951

PC

Alan Baxter

Kent

Shot

checking suspect

Murder

suspect shot
and killed by police

1951

DI

Duncan Fraser

West Riding

Shot

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

PC

Arthur Jagger

1952

DC

John Macleod
QC

Glasgow

Shot

attempting
arrest

Murder

suicide
of suspect

1952

PC

Sidney Miles
KPM

Metropolitan

Shot

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

1956

T/Sgt

Gerald Rooney

Kent

Shot

terrorist ambush

Murder

serving with UK Police Unit in Cyprus

1956

T/Sgt

Reginald Tipple

Metropolitan

Shot

terrorist ambush

Murder

serving with UK Police Unit in Cyprus

1956

T/Sgt

Leonard Demmon
QPM

Metropolitan

Shot

terrorist ambush

Murder

serving with UK Police Unit in Cyprus

1956

T/Sgt

Hugh Carter

Herefordshire

Shot

terrorist ambush

Murder

serving with UK Police Unit in Cyprus

1956

T/Sgt

Cyril
Thoroughgood

Leicestershire

Shot

terrorist ambush

Murder

serving with UK Police Unit in Cyprus

1958

T/Sgt

Stanley Woodward

Durham

Bomb Explosion

terrorist ambush

Murder

serving with
UK Police Unit in Cyprus

1958

PC

Frank Hulme

Hertfordshire

Beaten

street disturbance

Manslaughter

acquittal - insufficient
evidence of homicide

1958

DI

James O'Donnell
QPM

Blackburn

Shot

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of manslaughter

1958

PC

Raymond Summers

Metropolitan

Stabbed

street disturbance

Murder

conviction of murder

1959

D/Sgt

Raymond Purdy

Metropolitan

Shot

prisoner escape

Murder

conviction of murder

1960

PC

Leslie Meehan

Metropolitan

Dragged by Vehicle

checking suspect

Murder

conviction of murder

1961

Sgt

Frederick
Hutchins QPM

Metropolitan

Shot

chasing suspect

Murder

suicide
of suspect

Insp

Philip Pawsey
QPM

Shot

chasing suspect

1965

PC

George Russell
QPM

Cumberland,
West- morland & Carlisle

Shot

attempting
arrest

Murder

suspect found
insane

1965

D/Sgt

James Stanford
QPM

Wolverhampton

Stabbed

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

1966

PC

Geoffrey Fox

Metropolitan

Shot

checking suspects

Murder

conviction of murder

D/Sgt

Christopher Head

DC

David Wombwell

1966

PC

Brian Armstrong

Gateshead

Stabbed

checking suspects

Murder

conviction of murder

1967

Insp

James Bradley

Oxfordshire

Struck by Vehicle

vehicle pursuit

Murder

conviction of manslaughter

1967

PC

Joseph Drake

Stirling

Struck by Vehicle

stolen vehicle

Murder

conviciton
of culpable
homicide

1969

PC

Michael Davies

Metropolitan

Stabbed

deranged suspect *

Murder

conviction of manslaughter

1969

SC

George Gates

Glasgow

Bludgeoned

checking suspects *

Murder

conviction of murder

1969

ADC

Angus MacKenzie
QPM

Glasgow

Shot

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

1970

PC

Edward Barnett
QPM

1970

Insp

Barry Taylor
QC

West Yorkshire

Shot

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

1971

DC

Ian Coward
QPM

Thames Valley

Shot

checking suspects

Murder

conviction of murder

1971

Supt

Gerald
Richardson GC

Lancashire

Shot

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

1972

PC

Peter Guthrie
QPM

Warwickshire

Shot

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

1973

PC

Michael Whiting
QPM

Metropolitan

Dragged by Vehicle

checking suspects

Murder

conviction
of manslaughter

1973

PC

Dennis Smith
QPM

Devon &
Cornwall

Shot

checking suspect

Murder

conviction of murder

1974

PC

John Schofield

Surrey

Shot

checking suspect

Murder

conviction of murder

1975

PC

Stephen Tibble
QPM

Metropolitan

Shot

chasing suspect *

Murder

conviction of murder (IRA)

1975

PC

David Green

West Midlands

Stabbed

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

1975

ExpO

Roger Goad
GC BEM

Metropolitan

Bomb Explosion

terrorist attack

Murder

conviction of murder (IRA)

1975

Sgt

Brian Dawson

Leicestershire

Shot

domestic disturbance

Murder

conviction
of manslaughter

1976

PC

George Taylor

Strathclyde

Struck with
Axe

checking suspects

Murder

conviction of murder

1977

DC

Norman Garnham

North Yorkshire

Stabbed

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

1977

Sgt

Alan Gordon

Grampian

Dragged by Vehicle

checking suspect

Murder

conviction
of culpable
homicide

1978

PC

Christopher
MacDonald

Nottinghamshire

Beaten &
Drowned

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

1979

PC

Desmond Kellam

Wiltshire

Struck with
Billhook

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction
of manslaughter

1980

PC

Francis O'Neill
QGM

Metropolitan

Stabbed

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

1981

Sgt

Michael Hawcroft
QC

West Yorkshire

Stabbed

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

1981

PC

Raymond
Davenport QC

Merseyside

Dragged by Vehicle

stolen vehicle

Murder

conviction
of manslaughter

1981

ExpO

Kenneth Howorth
GM

Metropolitan

Bomb Explosion

terrorist attack

Murder

conviction of murder (IRA)

1982

DC

James Porter
QC

Durham

Shot

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

1982

PC

John Egerton
QC

Greater
Manchester

Stabbed

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

1982

DC

John Sandford

Greater
Manchester

Bludgeoned

checking suspect

Murder

conviction of murder

1982

PC

David Haigh

North Yorkshire

Shot

checking suspect

Murder

suicide
of suspect

1982

Sgt

David Winter

North Yorkshire

Shot

checking suspect

Murder

1982

WPC

Mandy Rayner

Hertfordshire

Struck by Vehicle

vehicle pursuit

Manslaughter

conviction of manslaughter

1983

D/Sgt

Ross Hunt

Strathclyde

Stabbed

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

1983

WPC

Jane Arbuthnot

Metropolitan

Bomb
Explosion

terrorist attack

Murder

unsolved
- no suspects charged (IRA)

Sgt

Noel Lane

Insp

Stephen Dodd

1984

PC

Stephen Jones

Metropolitan

Struck by Vehicle

stopping vehicle

D/Driving

conviction of
death by reckless driving

1984

WPC

Yvonne Fletcher

Metropolitan

Shot

terrorist attack

Murder

unsolved -
no suspects charged (Libyan)

1984

A/Sgt

Brian Bishop

Essex

Shot

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

1984

Sgt

John Speed
QC

West Yorkshire

Shot

checking suspects

Murder

suspect
shot and killed himself

1985

DC

John Fordham

Metropolitan

Stabbed

surveillance
duty

Murder

acquittal - insufficient
evidence of homicide

1985

PC

Keith Blakelock
QGM

Metropolitan

Stabbed

mob violence
/ rioting

Murder

unsolved -
suspects acquitted (on appeal)

1986

PC

Martin Bell

Metropolitan

Struck by Vehicle

vehicle pursuit

D/Ddriving

conviction
of death by dangerous driving

1986

PC

John Taylor

Staffordshire

Beaten / Fall

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction
of manslaughter

1987

PC

Ian Woodward

Lancashire

Shot

checking suspect *

Murder

conviction of murder

1987

PC

Ronan McCloskey

Metropolitan

Dragged by Vehicle

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction
of manslaughter

1987

PC

Roger Brereton
QC

Thames Valley

Shot

checking suspect

Murder

suicide
of suspect

1988

PC

Frank Mason
QGM

Hertfordshire

Shot

attempting
arrest *

Murder

conviction of murder

1988

PC

Gavin Carlton
QC

West Midlands

Shot

chasing suspects

Murder

suicide
of suspect

1989

PC

Anthony Salt

West Midlands

Beaten

surveillance
duty

Manslaughter

acquittal - insufficient
evidence of homicide

1989

Insp

Raymond Codling

Greater Manchester

Shot

checking suspect

Murder

suicide
of suspect

1990

PC

Laurence Brown

Metropolitan

Shot

checking suspect

Murder

conviction of murder

1991

PC

Robert Gladwell

Metropolitan

Beaten

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction
of manslaughter

1991

PC

Duncan Clift

Kent

Struck by Vehicle

stolen vehicle *

Murder

unsolved -
suspect acquitted

1991

A/Sgt

Simon Lilley

Northamptonshire

Struck by Vehicle

stopping vehicle

Manslaughter

conviction of
death by dangerous driving

1991

Sgt

Alan King QC

Metropolitan

Stabbed

checking
suspect

Murder

conviction of murder

1991

DC

James Morrison
QGM

Metropolitan

Stabbed

attempting
arrest *

Murder

unsolved -
no suspects charged

1992

SC

Glen Goodman
QC

North Yorkshire

Shot

checking suspects

Murder

conviction of murder (IRA)

1993

Sgt

William Forth
QC

Northumbria

Stabbed

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

1993

PC

Patrick Dunne

Metropolitan

Shot

suspicious
incident

Murder

conviction
of murder (in 2006)

1994

Sgt

Derek Robertson
QGM

Metropolitan

Stabbed

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

1994

PC

Lewis Fulton
QC

Strathclyde

Stabbed

attempting
arrest

Murder

suspect found
insane

1995

PC

Phillip Walters

Metropolitan

Shot

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction
of manslaughter

1997

WPC

Nina MacKay

Metropolitan

Stabbed

attempting
arrest

Murder

conviction
of manslaughter

1999

PC

Jeffrey Tooley

Sussex

Struck by Vehicle

stopping vehicle

D/Driving

conviction of
death by dangerous driving

1999

PC

Stephen Jones

Avon &
Somerset

Struck
by Vehicle

stolen vehicle

Manslaughter

conviction
of death by dangerous driving

1999

PC

Raja
Ahmed

Greater
Manchester

Struck
by Vehicle

stolen vehicle

Murder

conviction of murder

2000

PC

Jonathan Odell

Kent

Struck
by Vehicle

stopping vehicle

Murder

conviction
of manslaughter

2001

PC

Alison Armitage

Greater
Manchester

Struck
by Vehicle

stolen vehicle

Murder

conviction
of manslaughter

2001

PC

Malcolm Walker

West Midlands

Struck
by Vehicle

stolen vehicle

Murder

conviction of murder

2002

PC

Bryan Moore

Leicestershire

Struck
by Vehicle

vehicle pursuit

Murder

conviction of
manslaughter (Moore - on appeal)

PC

Andrew Munn

Murder

2003

PC

Gerald Walker

Nottinghamshire

Dragged by Vehicle

attempting arrest

Murder

conviction of
manslaughter

2003

DC

Stephen Oake
QGM

Greater
Manchester

Stabbed

prisoner escape

Murder

conviction of
murder (suspected terrorist)

2003

PC

Ian Broadhurst

West Yorkshire

Shot

attempting arrest

Murder

conviction of
murder

2004

DC

Michael Swindells
QGM

West Midlands

Stabbed

attempting arrest

Murder

conviction of
manslaughter

2005

PC

Sharon Beshenivsky

West Yorkshire

Shot

at crime scene

Murder

conviction of
murder

2006

PC

Joseph Carroll

Northumbria

Vehicle Crash

prisoner
escape

Manslaughter

conviction of manslaughter

2007

PC

Richard Gray
QC

West Mercia

Shot

domestic disturbance

Murder

suicide
of suspect

2007

PC

Jonathan Henry QC

Bedfordshire

Stabbed

attempting arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

2012

PC

Ian Andrew Dibell GM

Essex

Shot

checking suspect *

Murder

suicide
of suspect

2012

PC

Fiona Bone

Greater
Manchester

Shot

in ambush attending routine incident

Murder

conviction of murder

PC

Nicola Hughes

2015

PC

David Phillips

Merseyside

Struck by Vehicle

stolen vehicle

pending

pending

NOTES

* = Off Duty where the officers' actions or the motive for killing places them in the line of duty.

'disorderly' includes 'drunk and disorderly'

'prisoner escape' includes attempted escape

Criminal Acts: This list includes deaths reported as homicide offences
i.e. where there was a charge or inquest verdict of unlawful killing, murder or manslaughter (culpable homicide in Scotland).

Deaths involving stolen vehicles or the criminal use of vehicles to
evade arrest usually result in a homicide
offence. Also included are offences
of 'causing death by reckless
or dangerous driving', where an officer was attempting to stop a vehicle
or otherwise engaged on traffic control. This offence was
established by the Road Traffic Act 1956 prior to which causing
death by reckless driving would be charged as manslaughter.

Outcome: Cases where suspects were not proceeded
against or acquitted due to insufficient evidence as to cause of death, or
on the grounds of accident or self defence or other grounds where
a
homicide offence was not substantiated are shown as:
"acquittal - insufficient
evidence of homicide". Such acquittals may not officially be currently recorded
as homicide offences.

Cases where suspects are acquitted due to insufficient
evidence of their involvement in a homicide offence are shown as:
"unsolved - suspect(s) acquitted". Such acquittals
would remain recorded as homicide.

The list does not include deaths that
occurred over a year after an injury was inflicted or other cases where death
may have resulted from criminal assaults but there was no charge
or inquest verdict of homicide. It does not include causing death by reckless
or dangerous driving, or motor manslaughter, arising out of road
traffic collisions where an officer was on routine patrol and not
engaged in any duty relating to the collision.